The invention relates to a dispensing appliance for liquids, in particular chemicals, pharmaceutical raw materials and similar media, which should not come into contact with the outside atmosphere, for example biological media. These liquids are conventionally delivered in a supply container designed as a drum or the like and in each case have to be dispensed in relatively small quantities at the consumer""s, for example in a semiconductor factory. Dispensing normally takes place in bottles or in the production section. The liquid is conveyed either by feeding an inert gas at excess pressure into the supply container or by means of a pump.
Known dispensing appliances are designed as cabinet-like units which have both a receiving space for the supply container and the installations and metering devices necessary for dispensing. The setting-up of a plurality of such dispensing appliances required for dispensing different liquids necessitates a relatively large setting-up area. Particularly in semiconductor factories and research laboratories, however, the setting-up area is restricted and/or costly.
The object of the invention is, therefore, to design a dispensing appliance of the generic type mentioned, in such a way that high flexibility as regards the setting-up possibilities, particularly with a view to loading, is achieved, so that, even in the case of different available setting-up areas, in each case a space-saving set-up becomes possible.
This object is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a dispensing appliance for liquids, consisting of at least one cabinet-like supply module and of a cabinet-like dispensing module connectable to the latter and having a dispensing space accessible from the front side, the supply module having a square plan contour with an edge length which is equal to the depth of the dispensing module designed with a rectangular plan contour.
Dividing the dispensing appliance into a supply module and a dispensing module and adapting the edge length of the square plan contour of the supply module to the depth of the rectangular dispensing module make it possible in each case to connect the supply module to the dispensing module, with a view to the loading possibility, in such a way that the available space is utilized optimally. This applies, in particular, when a plurality of dispensing appliances of this type normally have to be set up in a room, the plan area of which is to be utilized optimally. The modular design also makes it possible to set up the supply modules in a delivery store and to set up the dispensing modules in a separate setting-up room.
Depending on the set task predetermined by the organizational or production flow, it is possible to combine the supply module with the dispensing module in a flexible way, so that, even if there is only a little space available, a provisioning system for all the different liquids required can be implemented.
Preferably, a pull-out trolley intended for the exchangeable reception of a supply container can be moved out of the front side of the supply module.
According to a preferred embodiment, there is provision for the pull-out trolley of the supply module to have a base trough which is connected to a front plate, and for at least one of the two side faces of the pull-out trolley to be open. Lateral loading of the pull-out trolley becomes possible as a result. The utilization of space is particularly flexible if both side faces of the pull-out trolley are open, so that it can be loaded selectively from one side or the other, depending on the arrangement and accessibility of the dispensing appliance.
The division according to the invention of the dispensing appliance into at least one supply module and a dispensing module also makes it possible to connect the dispensing module together with two supply modules in each case. As a result, in each case a second supply container can be made ready before the first supply container is emptied completely, so that, after the first supply container has been emptied, a change-over to the second full supply container becomes possible in a simple way. The exchange of the emptied supply container can then be carried out at a later time.
Other advantageous refinements of the concept the invention are the subject-matter of further subclaims.